The four-in-hand knot is a method of tying a
necktie
A necktie, long tie, or simply a tie, is a cloth article of formal neckwear or office attire worn for decorative or symbolic purposes, resting under a folded shirt collar or knotted at the throat, and usually draped down the chest. On rare o ...
. Also sometimes known (in UK) as a Bucket Knot, due to the shape of the finished knot. Some reports state that carriage drivers tied their
rein
Reins are used to direct a horse (or other animal) when riding or driving. They are attached to a bridle's bit or noseband and are made of leather, nylon, or other materials. Reins are used to give subtle commands or cues—also known as r ...
s with a four-in-hand knot, while others claim that the carriage drivers wore their scarves in the manner of a four-in-hand, but the most likely etymology is that members of the Four-in-Hand Club in London began to wear the neckwear, making it fashionable. The knot produced by this method is on the narrow side, notably asymmetric. For
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
uniforms
A uniform is a variety of costume worn by members of an organization while usually participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are most often worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency ser ...
, and
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
uniforms
A uniform is a variety of costume worn by members of an organization while usually participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are most often worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency ser ...
that include a necktie, the four-in-hand knot is one of three prescribed options for tying the necktie, the other two being the
half-Windsor and
Windsor.
Tying
The four-in-hand knot is tied by placing the tie around the neck and crossing the broad end of the tie in front of the narrow end. The broad end is folded behind the narrow end and brought forward on the opposite side, passed across the front horizontally, folded behind the narrow end again, brought over the top of the knot from behind, tucked behind the horizontal pass, and the knot pulled snug. The knot is slid up the narrow end of the tie until snug against the collar.
Using the notation of ''
The 85 Ways to Tie a Tie
''The 85 Ways to Tie a Tie'' is a book by Thomas Fink and Yong Mao about the history of the knotted neckcloth, the modern necktie, and how to tie each. It is based on two mathematics papers published by the authors in ''Nature'' and '' Physica& ...
'', by
Thomas Fink
Thomas Fink (born 1972) is an Anglo-American physicist, author and entrepreneur. He has published papers in statistical physics and its applications, written two books and designed an iPhone app. He set up the London Institute for Mathematica ...
and Yong Mao, the four-in-hand knot (knot 2) is tied
*Li Ro Li Co T.
File:Tie diagram start.svg
File:Tie diagram l-r i-o.svg
File:Tie diagram r-l.svg
File:Tie diagram l-c-end.svg
Other uses
When it is used to attach rope to an object, the four-in-hand knot is known as the ''
buntline hitch
The buntline hitch is a knot used for attaching a rope to an object. It is formed by passing the working end around an object, then making a clove hitch around the rope's standing part and taking care that the turns of the clove hitch progress ...
''. It was used by sailors throughout the
Age of Sail
The Age of Sail is a period in European history that lasted at the latest from the mid-16th (or mid-15th) to the mid-19th centuries, in which the dominance of sailing ships in global trade and warfare culminated, particularly marked by the int ...
to
rig
Rig or RIG may refer to:
Objects and structures
* Rig (fishing), an arrangement of items used for fishing
* Drilling rig, a structure housing equipment used to drill or extract oil from underground
* Rig (stage lighting)
* rig, a horse-drawn c ...
ships and remains a useful working knot today.
Onassis knot
A variant of the four-in-hand, with the long end of the tie passed back around and above the just-tied knot, was employed by
Aristotle Onassis
Aristotle Socrates Onassis (, ; , ; 20 January 1906 – 15 March 1975) was a Greek and Argentine business magnate. He amassed the world's largest privately-owned shipping fleet and was one of the world's richest and most famous men. He was marri ...
, who caused it to become briefly fashionable in some circles.
record this variant as Knot 2
on; in shorthand notation, it is written Li Ro Li Co T Ri Co.
See also
*
Small knot
The small knot, also known as oriental knot, Kent knot, or simple knot, is the simplest method of tying a necktie. Unlike the Four-in-hand knot and Windsor knot, the small knot is not self-releasing. The small knot is tied inside out, though thi ...
– a lesser known but somewhat simpler necktie knot
*
Half-Windsor knot
The half-Windsor knot, also known as the single Windsor knot, is a way of tying a necktie which produces a neat, triangular knot. It is larger than the four-in-hand knot and Pratt knot, but smaller than the Windsor knot. The half-Windsor is deri ...
– a more symmetric and slightly broader knot
*
Windsor knot
The Windsor knot, sometimes referred to as a full Windsor (or misleadingly as a double Windsor) to distinguish it from the half-Windsor, is a knot used to tie a necktie. As with other common necktie knots, the Windsor knot is triangular, and the ...
– a more symmetric and substantially bulkier knot
*
List of knots
This list of knots includes many alternative names for common knots and lashings. Knot names have evolved over time, and there are many conflicting or confusing naming issues. The overhand knot, for example, is also known as the thumb knot. The ...
References
External links
{{Necktie knots
Necktie knots
de:Krawattenknoten#Four-in-Hand